Diving with jumbo squid in CA rare?

[Benthos]

Hi all.
I spent an hour yesterday diving with an 8ft. jumbo squid off catalina island. It was an extreamly tactile encounter I was just wondering; has anyone else has had encounters while diving in California? If there are any experts out there I am looking for more information as this incounter has peaked my interest.

Thanks
Rich

 

[Scubaroo]

WOW - you're still with us?

That would have been a Humboldt Squid - dangerous critters to be around. They're believed to be responsible for a number of attacks on divers.

I'm not kidding.

 

[Wijbrandus]

Scubaroo,

I heard the Humboldt was dangerous, but can you tell me more about them attacking divers? I had not heard that before, only that occasionally a swimmer gets a bite from one.

 

[hantzu701]

More details about the dive please! Was it one or several of those suckers? That must have been an awesome dive!

 

[gj62]

Wow! Here's some fairly dramatic reading, but will show you a pic - is this what you encountered? http://diver.net/seahunt/fend/f_scottc.htm

 

[CelticRavenVA]

OH MY... that would be scary...

 

[kelpmermaid]

Recently about doing this in Baja in the LA Times Outdoors section, and it did seem scary.

 

[Mo2vation]

Wow! Here's some fairly dramatic reading, but will show you a pic - is this what you encountered? http://diver.net/seahunt/fend/f_scottc.htm

Wow. I'd love to see the video.

Thanks for sharing.

K

 

[Jambi]

And people are scared of sharks....

ctopus:


Jambi

 

[Benthos]

I have pics of the dive but no way to poast them. Macros of eyes, wide angle shots with divers etc. A few of his tenticles had been cut in half because I think he got hit by a boat in the channel. I was able to ride him around in the water by hanging on to the top of his mantle and he carried me quite a ways. That mantle and siphon can produce a lot of force. I took my leather glove off and put one finger on the smallest sucker I could find. It instantly latched on so tight I couldn't pull it off and it hurt. It prompted him to throw some more suckers on me but he never came at me with his beak... it was a very big beak. I was checking him out and he was checking me out. I just got the impression that I felt different and, being a tactile creature, he was checking me out with his suckers. It was sort of like diving with a giant stray dog. You could pet him on the head and his eyes would squint up while he looked looked at you. Very powerfull animal and with a firm mantle. Not at all what I thought it would feel like. He was tactile but not agressive. All it takes is one sucker to make you realise you have lost control of the situation but he was fairly gentle.